Electric switch.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY n. nnnvn, 6! NEW YORK, 11. Y.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Lette'rs'l'atent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Application filed May 1'2, 1908, Serial No. 432,385. Renewed-Tune 1 7,1509'. Serial No. 502,800.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that 1', HENRY E. Rnnvn, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain. new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric switches.

It is particularly designed for use in incandescent lamp sockets, but itwill be obvious that its use is not so limited.

The objectof the invention is to rovide a simple and reliable mechanismw ich is durable, will enable the operator to break a circuit quicklywithout arcin and which can be manufactured economical y.

The invention, consists of improvements, the principles of which areillustrated in the accompanying single sheet of drawings. 7

Figure 1, is a vertical section of mechanism embodying the improvementsof my invention, the arts of the switch being in the open or ofi'position. Fig. 2, is a similar view, the parts of the switcli'bein'q inthe closed or on position. Fig. 3, is a plan view of the parts of theswitch. Fig. 4,.is a perspective view of the switch frame. Fig. 5, is aperspective view of the movable contact member. Fig. 6, is a plan viewof tile operating cam. .Fig. 7, is a sectional view slmilar to Fig. 2 ofa construction emb ing modifications of details of the invention. Fig.8, is a perspective View of the catch shown in F ig. 7. Fig. 9 is afragmentary plan view of the contact arm shown in Fig 7.

The invention is illustrated. as embodied in a lamp socket in which thescrew threaded sleeve 1 for receiving the lamp (not shown) is attachedin suitable manner to a porcelain block 2.\vhich forms one-half of theinsulating base. The other half of the base is indicated at 3. Twohalves of the base are secured together in any suitable manner as scustomary in the.art and are recessed to reoeive the switch mechanism. I

The switch frame maybe conveniently formed of sheet metal stamped orformed as illustrated in Fig. 4. The spring member 4 whose tipis'adapted to contact with the bottom of the sleeve 1, is anchored'orsup ported between .1. depending shoulder 5-01 the switch frame andanabutment formed by a in or bar 6 which. passes through per foratlons 7,7 in the sides 8,8 of the switch frame. This bar 6 is preferably anintegl al varm as shown in in part of the base 9 of a binding posthaving a clamp nut 10 forsecuring ne of the conductors to the switch.Elect ic connection will thus be direct from the binding post to theswitch arm 4.

The two'armed cam 11 which serves to move the spring member 4 is fixedon shaft 12 and may thus be turned by a button 13 in either direction..This cam shaft 12 prefcrabl rests on the bottom of the switch frame ans held, in place by the porcelain block 2 )nc side 0 the, frame isnotched as at i i to receive the shaft. At the bottom of the tongue 41is shoulder 42 coacting with the cam 11. l he width and location of thecam are such that it never comes under the contact tip of the springmember 4 but is always eneath the tongue 41. The spring catch 15 isanchored or held between the walls, 16 and 17 of the switch frame, theshoulder 18 preventing displacement. The ton e 41 is integral with theswitch arm at! coacts with'thc catch 15. \Vhcn the cam is rotated fromthe pdsition shown in Fig. 1, it engages the shoulder 42 and thus raisesthe contact arm-so that the tip of the catch snaps under the tongue 41to support the contact arm in the closed position, (see Fig. 2);. Thecatch has a shoulder 19 adapt ed to be engaged by the cam so that whenthe cam is rotated from the position shown in 'Fig. 2 the catch israised and disengaged from the tongue 41.' The contact arm thusreleased, snaps quickly down opening the circuit abruptly.

In the fofin' shown iirFig. 7, the swih h spin 4; is anchored in adiiiercnt manner. The rear end passes beneath the pin 27 and bearsagainst the flange 28, which is formed by turning one side 2965 theswitch frame. The sides of the switch frame are slotted us at 30 toreceive the anchor pin 2?. The catchlii is anchored in a manner similarto that before described excc t that the wall 31 is not closed down to,the same extent as the wall 17 in Fig. 4. In this form the tip of theswitch arm lies between the flanges 20, 20 of the catch. \Vhcn the camis turned from the dotted' position to the full line pnsition of Fig'.'7 to close the circuit, one arm engages the switch'arm' i, andraises it un- 24, 24 beneath the ed cs 32, 32

inns. For this purpose the parts are so proportioned that the cam liftsthe contact arm 4 a little higher Ltil the catch snaps down with theshoulders of the switch than the position shown so that the catch isfree to snap under. When the cam is released the contact arm pressesdown on the shoulders 24, 24. When it is desired to retract the switcharm 4, the cam 11 is turned until one arm enga es the boss 25 of thecatch and forces It ack so as to disengage the catch shoulders 24, 24from beneath the edges 32, 32 of the switch arm, which immediately sna 5out of contact with the sleeve and takes t e position of Fig. 7. Whileit is possible to use straight members in the switch like the arm 4 inFig. 7,-I prefer to form shoulders like 42 and 19 in Figs. 1 and 2 asthey permit a much greater range of movement of the members. It isparticularly desirable to form a shoulder like 42 on the contact arm butI prefer to also have a. shoulder like 19 on the catch. In both formsthe points of engagements of the cam withthe catch and switch arm, andthe point of engagement of the catch with the switch arm being locatedclose together, the movements are positive and quick. The advantages ofthe construction herein described and articularly the preferred formillustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive will be apparent to thoseacquainted with this art, particularly as regards simplicity ofconstruction, durability and positiveness of action.

r hat I claim is:

1. In an electric switch, a frame, a spring contact member carriedthereby, a spring catch and a rotatable cam adapted to engage thecontact member to move it into closed position and adapted to move thecatch to release the contact member.

2. In an electric switch, a framehaving side flanges with openings, abinding post base extending through said openings, a spring contactmember having one end electrical y engaging said base, a rotatable camfor lllOVill" said contact member in one direction and a catch forholding said member in its closed position.

3. In an electric switch, a frame havin a shoulder, a spring contact armengaging said shoulder, a transverse bar serving as an abutment for saidcontactarm, a rotatable cam for operating said arm and a catch for saidarm also operated b said earn.

4. In an electric switc a frame, contact arm carried thereby and havinga shoulder, a spring catch for supporting said arm and a cam forengaging said shoulder to more said switch arm in one direction and formoving said catch to release said arm.

5. ln an electric switch, a spring contact arm,-:in operating cam, aspring catch having a part for supporting said arm in the closedposition andhaving another part ada ted to be engaged by said cam torelease said arm.

(5. In anelectric switch,

a spring a spring contact arm having a shoulder, a spring catch for saidarm said catch having a shoulder and a cam for engaging the shoulder ofsaid arm to close the circuit and also engaging the shoulder of saidcatch for releasing the same to open the circuit.

7. In an electric switch, a spring contact arm having a shoulder and aton no, a catch for supporting the tongue of sai arm and a cam forengaging said shoulder to move said arm and permit said catch to engagebeneath said tongue.

8. In an electric switch, a spring contact arm having a tongue, a springcatch having a portion to engage said tongue to support the arm and acam for operating said members.

't). In an electric switch, two' insulating blocks having recesses, aswitch-frame located flan es, a spring contact arm and a sprin catcicarried b said frame between said flan es, a cam for o crating said armand catc a shaft for sai cam supported by said frame and held in placebetween said blocks.

10. An electric switch comprisin a frame having a downwardly inclinedwal with an upwardly inclined extension, a spring catch having a loopheld between said walls, a contact arm coo'peratin with said catch and acam 'for o )erating said arm and catch.

11. An e ectric switch comprisin a frame having a downwardly inclinedwal with an upwardly inclined extension, a spring catch having a loobetween said walls, a shoulder on one wall I01 holding said loop, acontact arm cooperating with said catch and a cam for operating said armand catch.

, 1.2. In an electric switch, a frame having an abutment and a shoulder,a cam, a sprin contact arm pressing toward said cam, and having a loopheld between said shoulder and said abutment, and a catch for said armoperable by said cam.

13. In an electric switch, a spring contact member having a projectingtongue, a catch adapted to coact with said tongue and support saidcontact member and means coactmg with said contact member at the base ofsaid tongue to move the contact member and close the circuit.

14. In an electric switch, a spring contact member having a tongue atone side, a sprin catch having its tip adapted to coact wit. said tongueand means coacting with said contact member and with said catch for moving said contact member to close th'e cilruit and for moving said catchto release said contact member and open he circuit.

HENRY E. REEVE.

Witnesses:

A. Y. SEAMAN, RoB'r. S. ALLYN.

